A two-day celebration of feline veneration, the third annual CatCon was held August 12th and 13th at the Pasadena Convention Center. Presented by Rachael Ray Nutrish, the event was virtual catnip to animal lovers, who enjoyed everything from cat seminars and spotting celebrities to mulling over feline meowchandise and meeting adorable adoptables.
This year’s CatCon has come and gone, but like the song from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous feline-themed musical, the following photos “let the memory live again.”
Celebrity Cats and Cat-Loving Luminaries
A number of famous two-and four-legged pals to those who purr mingled among a throng 20,000 strong:
Making friends of fans while helping fellow felines in need, CatCon included appearances by several social media stars, among them:
- Pudge, Oskar the Blind Cat, Nala and Lil BUB and her Dude (Mike Bridavsky), who took part not only in a meet and greet, but also the seminar “Men and Cats: A Love Story” and a session which helped to shine a light on cats with special needs. Pudge posed with some new pals…
Photo Credit: CatConWorldWide/Andrew Marttila
- Oskar the Blind Cat and his kitty companion, Klaus:
Photo Credit: CatConWorldWide/ Andrew Marttila
- Moshow the Cat Rapper— who recently struck a pose to oppose animal abuse by stepping in front of the camera with one of his feline friends for the Show Your Soft Side campaign– met with fans and had attendees tapping their feet to the beat of his kitty ditties during a performance at the CatCon VideoFest.
Photo Credit: CatConWorldWide/Andrew Marttila
- A star of Battlestar: Galactica and the current hit Fox series Lucifer, Tricia Helfer took on the role of host of the first ever CatCon Awards, which lauded the work of Sir Thomas Trueheart of Milo’s Sanctuary in the category of Biggest Newcomer.
- ‘Kitten Lady’ Hannah Shaw, who received the Advocate of the Year award from Ian Somerhalder for her dogged devotion to neonatal kittens.
Photo Credit: CatConWorldWide/Rich Hardcastle
- Model and Mom to a rescue cat called Bandit, Tess Holliday was on hand to celebrate the beauty of our feline friends and take part in the CatCon VideoFest:
Photo Credit: CatConWorldWide/Rich Hardcastle
- The Cat Daddy himself, Animal Planet star Jackson Galaxy, met families with felines at the PetSmart booth:
Photo Credit: CatConWorldWide/Andrew Marttila
Products for Our Purring Pals
More than 140 vendor booths were brimming with meow-chandise for both people and their pals who purr, ranging from feline-inspired fine art and furniture to fashions.
A Philanthropic Feline Phenomenon
Photo Credit: CatConWorldWide/Rich Hardcastle
A happening with a lot of heart, the past two CatCon celebrations generated more than $75,000 for various paws causes, including FixNation Lil BUB’s BIG Fund for the ASPCA, and Kitten Rescue. This year $2 from each ticket sold and a portion of the proceeds from the event’s Meet and Greets will go toward furthering the efforts of The Ian Somerhalder Foundation‘s mission to protect the planet and all its inhabitants.
Along with raising funds for animals in need, CatCon also raised the spirits of attendees with the news that more than 150 cats and kittens from the Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA found forever families to love at the event’s Furever Home Adoption Lounge, hosted by Rachael Ray Nutrish!
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